I have always loved using face masks. You feel like you’re doing something fun to treat yourself AND you also get instant, dramatic results that you can’t with your regular daily products. Most of the masks I use are for exfoliating, since I don’t use any products in my daily routine that do that.
Photo by Lauren Campbell. (Thanks, Lauren!)
Photo by Lauren Campbell.
I heard about Demalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant from Lisa Eldrige on YouTube (love her.) It exfoliates with lactic acid, so it’s creamy and smooth rather than gritty. It’s super gentle and great for if your skin is feeling sensitive/breaking out or a little dry, but you still want to slush of some dead skin on the surface. I apply it to my dry face, usually right after a shower, and leave it on for 20 minutes. This one has the least dramatic results of all the masks in this post, but I like to have it because it’s so gentle.
The Resurface Microdelivery Dual-Phase Peel from Philosophy is great. I don’t use it super often because it’s two steps and I need to bring my iPhone into the bathroom to time it. The first step is a really gritty scrub that smells like oranges. It says not to “scrub” but I totally scrub. The second is a liquid that you place on top of the scrub. It’s supposed to foam up, but that doesn’t usually happen for me. I leave that liquid on for a minute. After I’m finished, my face is a little red but super soft – definitely awesome results. I picked this up for 40% off at a local boutique called LeVisage but they also carry it at Sephora and Ulta. It’s pricey but it’s lasted me a long time.
The Boscia Intensifying Moisture Pack + is a moisturizer and a mask. This stuff is perfect for when you’re SUPER dry. I’ll get dry around my eyebrows, the sides of my nose and around my mouth. So, I layer this on pretty thick over night on top of my regular moisturizer. I also like to use this after with the Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant so it soaks in. You can wipe it off, but I usually leave it on. I wouldn’t recommend using this before you use your makeup unless it’s just a small area that’s super dry because it might make your foundation slide off. This is a really thick gel with a strong scent. I love it but I can definitely see how it could be polarizing. This is definitely one of my stand-by products. I’ve repurchased it about three times.
The Glam Glow YouthMud Tinglexfoliant Treatment is my favorite. Everyone has been talking about this one, and I see why. I LOVE using this. It makes my skin super soft and it smells awesome. It’s dark gray, a little gritty and has flakes of something (seaweed?). I layer it all over my face, wait until it dries and then scrub it with wet hands for about 30-45 seconds before I rinse off. I get blackheads and not-so-smooth skin around my nose, so I focus extra attention there and this stuff takes care of it. I use this mask the most frequently of all these mentioned because I like it so much. I purchased it from the Glam Glow website on sale and it’s a special Breast Cancer Awareness version (pink packaging.) It’s also carried at Sephora. This is one of those “it” products right now, so Sephora.com is always offering samples, and they have a smaller $19 size online. Those are two options for trying it before investing in the $69 jar. When this runs out I’ll definitely be repurchasing.
I posted about the REN Glycolic Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask a little while ago when I picked it up in this kit from Sephora. I had sampled this before and really liked it. It’s a little bit similar to the Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant in how it works but the texture is slightly different. The smell and color are similar to Step 1 of the Microdelivery Peel. But, instead of a scrub, it exfoliates with acid. I’d say this is my favorite skincare line and this is a great mask.
I’m so excited to try the Ole Henriksen Power Peel Professional Spa Grade Kit. I saw one of my favorite people. Hannah, using it and I had to pick one up. I love that you can buy a mini pack of two treatments for $16. This one has three steps – an almond polish, lemon strip and chamomile comfort. Sounds luxurious. I think it’ll be most similar to the Microdelivery Peel but we’ll see! I’ll let you know how this one goes!
What are your favorite masks?
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